I was lucky enought to see a screening of the Hobbit on Warner Bros. lot Monday evening. I won't go into details about the story, but I wanted to comment on the 48 fps.

When the film first opens I was taken back by how different it did look. It was shocking to say the least. It is so crystal clear. You can see the details of the characters and surroundings down to a single blade of grass. I will agree with Peter Jackson that it took sometime for me to get comfortable with the change. I wasn't until at least an hour into the movie that I started to forget about the new frame rate and was able to be in awww by how beautiful the film looked. I also think that with F/X heavy CGI films the 48 fps really made everything look real. It was much harder to notice a distiction between what was real and what was CGI, it all looked real, even the CG characters. As for people that say they are getting motion sickness, I call BS on that one. The actions scenes don't have the jerkiness or roughness that they have with 24 fps. Everything is very smooth and when the action gets quick there is no blurring or "what was that", you are able to see everything in very high clarity.

This process also helped the 3D as it didn't give that darkness that 24 fps 3D movies have. Everything was bright and looked amazing. Overall, I like the new frame rate. I didn't notice any issues with it and as many have said it's like when you went from a standard TV to HDTV. The technology will grow and can only get better. I can't wait to see the film again in 48 fps.

I wanted to know if there are others who might have had a chance to see it thought about the 48 fps. Let me know what you think..

I'm a filmmaker and have never experienced a film in 48 fps so I kept looking at the background, lighting and overall look of the film and I kept getting distracted from the story. I don't feel that I can give an honest review until I see it again. The set up for the adventure to begin takes up a large chunk of the first half and I can understand why some critics say it might drag, but, for me it didn't. A friend I went with, who is a Tolkien fan, loved it and enjoyed the changes they made to the story. I think most critics aren't Tolkien fans are want just another popcorn flick. The audience in our screening room gave it a standing ovation at the end which has never happened in a screening.

Overall I liked it and was very happy to be back in Middle Earth. I think after seeing it again it'll be right on par with the LOTR trilogy.

That twitchfilm.com review/overview of The Hobbit and 48fps is really great. Very well written and intelligent and balanced-- i was very impressed. Easily the best article on the subject that i've read. And he kind of changed my mind, because i had decided to see it at 24fps the first time, but his argument that HFR/3D is how the *filmmakers intend it to be seen* is very persuasive, as i'm very respectful of the filmmaker's artistic vision. There's also an interview with Richard Armitage on that same site (conducted by the same writer) that is excellent as well-- probably the best interview with a cast member that i've yet seen.

But for the media to blow up a story of one or two people who happen to not be able to handle it is wrong. So it is BS to try to ruin it for the vast majority of other people who could potentially enjoy it.

I can't wait to see what they can do with 48 fps. My biggest gripe about the advent of CGI and digital F/X's is it's used so much that a film doesn't look real. You can see what is CGI and what isn't. In the instance of The Hobbit in 48 fps I was at times convinced they had to have 1000's of extras to do some of the scenes and then would realize that it must be all CGI, it all looks so real. I just couldn't tell.

I want to just focus on the story, without going "gee whiz!" about how it looks. But I do want to see it with the new technology later. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories

The best line of your post was, "I call 'bs' on that one." I've thought all along that the hand-wringing over 48 fps was much ado about nothing. I also agree that this film, by its very nature (prequel, lighter tone, etc.), may be less successful with critics and more successful with fans. Anyway, the new clips I saw today look amazing. And anyone who thinks too much of "An Unexpected Party" is "draggy" is a knucklehead (IMHO).

Huskyla, I saw the film last week as well and just wanted to chime in and say I agree 100% with your observations. Great fun film, enjoyed the additions and the 48 fps thing actually made the movie the smoothest 3D ride I've ever had, despite my initial reservations. I'm converted and can't wait to see it again. I had friends who were in a 24 fps 3D screening and they were the only ones complaining of motion sickness or head aches. The 48 fps apperars to alleviate that rather than add to it. I think the media is jumping on it because they smell the whiff of controversy, which they always love.

the media in general like to blow anything up out of all proportion or base things not on fact on .....might, could, may,,.probably will.....anything now adays from the main broadcasters in the UK....BBC and Sky do the same things there is no facts anymore just speculation and opinion based on what an individual thinks.......rant over ;)

but I can guarantee you that it won't take me long to melt into the movie between the 48fps and the 3D ... it's just the way my brain is wired. The only time I had an issue not staying in a movie was when I 'first' saw Avatar and expected better 3D effects (flying, roller coaster ride, pop out of screen, etc.), especially the flying...when that didn't happen it took me out for just a minute(if that), and it was because of my hopes and expectations; However the next time I saw it and each time after, I didn't notice it at all. Anything more real looking, 3D, or higher quality sucks me right in... I don't have big expectations for the Hobbit's 3D, so that shouldn't be an issue, and everything extra will be gravy! sphdle1

"The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us? Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him."